American cancels 200 flights; service at Albany not affected

The airline, whose regional subsidiary, American Eagle, serves Albany International Airport, canceled the flights so that it could inspect wire bundles on its MD-80 jets. The twin-engine aircraft, a derivative of the DC-9, were reinspected following an audit of the airline by a joint team of inspectors from American and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA has been revisiting inspection procedures in the wake of alleged inspection lapses at Southwest Airlines that led the FAA to propose a $10.2 million fine, the Associated Press reported.

The airplanes, which went into service beginning in the 1980s, once were a common sight at Albany. But American’s elimination of mainline service here and in other upstate New York cities ended flights by the larger planes here. They have been replaced by smaller regional jets. American now operates three daily round-trips from Albany to its hub at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago.

Airport spokesman Doug Myers said the airport was told “a handful” of Albany passengers may have been affected as they transferred to mainline flights at the airline’s hubs. They would have been rebooked on other flights, Myers said.